Auto Recall Watch
U.S. public vehicle records

Oldsmobile OMEGA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

5 owner complaints analyzed

28 distinct recall campaigns

Not available median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1973 to 1984 model years. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System:Ignition is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 5 complaints (20.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Engine operation120.0%
Braking behavior120.0%
Steering behavior120.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System:Ignition
1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
1
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Drum
1
Steering:Rack And Pinion
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Electrical System:Ignition1
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline1
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Drum1
Steering:Rack And Pinion1

Electrical System:Ignition: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 1; Seat Belts:Front:Retractor: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Drum: 1; Steering:Rack And Pinion: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0000
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

No usable failure mileage is recorded. 5 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995
3
1996
2
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
19953
19962

1995: 3; 1996: 2

Pattern summary

Electrical System:Ignition leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 802908 · 1996-09-25 (September 25, 1996)

AT ANY SPPEED THE CAR STALLS. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 802908 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 481833 · 1995-02-22 (February 22, 1995)

REAR BRAKES LOCKED, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *AW

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 481833 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 485258 · 1995-06-05 (June 5, 1995)

'COLD POWER STEERING'. *DH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 485258 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1973
4
1974
3
1975
3
1977
2
1978
2
1980
8
1981
2
1982
2
1983
1
1984
3
Recall campaigns data
CategoryCount
19734
19743
19753
19772
19782
19808
19812
19822
19831
19843

1973: 4; 1974: 3; 1975: 3; 1977: 2; 1978: 2; 1980: 8; 1981: 2; 1982: 2; 1983: 1; 1984: 3

Year-by-year records

Oldsmobile OMEGA model-year comparison
Model yearComplaintsRecallsChange in recalls
197304Not available
197403-1
1975030
197702Not available
1978020
198018Not available
198122-6
1982020
198301-1
198423+2
Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

5 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

0.0%Usable mileage0 / 5 records
80.0%Valid incident date4 / 5 records
100.0%Valid filing date5 / 5 records
80.0%Ordered incident and filing dates4 / 5 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

Component complaint heatmap
Component1973197419751977197819801981198219831984
Electrical System:Ignition
0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

150.0%
ODI 802908

AT ANY SPPEED THE CAR STALLS. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

Look up ODI 802908 at NHTSA ↗

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline
0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

150.0%
ODI 503687

VEHICLE SHUT OFF, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT. (NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE REPORT) *DSH

Look up ODI 503687 at NHTSA ↗

Seat Belts:Front:Retractor
0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

150.0%
ODI 969373

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT FAILURE, THE RETRACTOR MECHANISM HAS MALFUNCTION. TT

Look up ODI 969373 at NHTSA ↗

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Drum
0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

1100.0%
ODI 481833

REAR BRAKES LOCKED, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *AW

Look up ODI 481833 at NHTSA ↗

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

Steering:Rack And Pinion
0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

00.0%

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

0Unavailable

No examples available for this selection.

150.0%
ODI 485258

'COLD POWER STEERING'. *DH

Look up ODI 485258 at NHTSA ↗

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
ComponentMileage range (25th–75th percentile)MedianUsable recordsExamples
No usable records for this analysis.

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

1 reports2024-112026-10

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
MonthComplaintsCampaigns announcedExamples
2024-110None

No examples available for this selection.

2024-120None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-010None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-020None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-030None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-040None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-050None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-060None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-070None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-080None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-090None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-100None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-110None

No examples available for this selection.

2025-120None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-010None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-020None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-030None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-040None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-050None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-060None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-070None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-080None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-090None

No examples available for this selection.

2026-10 (partial)0None

No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Age 0Age 1Age 21 reports

1983: 0 complaints · 1984: 0 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model yearThrough age 0Through age 1Through age 2
1983000
1984000
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
YearIncident dates usedFiling date fallbacksExcluded dates
1983000
1984200

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
ComponentElectrical System:IgnitionEngine And Engine Cooling:Engine:GasolineSeat Belts:Front:RetractorService Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:DrumSteering:Rack And Pinion
Electrical System:Ignition—0000
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline0—000
Seat Belts:Front:Retractor00—00
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Drum000—0
Steering:Rack And Pinion0000—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

2 patterns with matching reports.

Stalling or loss of power

1 mentions · 20.0% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 802908

AT ANY SPPEED THE CAR STALLS. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK

Look up ODI 802908 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b

Steering assistance concerns

1 mentions · 20.0% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 485258

'COLD POWER STEERING'. *DH

Look up ODI 485258 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule\b(power steer\w*|steering assist\w*|steering lock\w*|steering wheel lock\w*)\b